1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical fiber end face cleaner, and more particularly to an optical fiber end face cleaner for cleaning the end face by removing deposits adhering to an end face of an optical fiber.
2. Prior Art
Optical fiber-connecting methods of connecting optical fibers by butting ends thereof against each other include, for example, methods illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4C. Referring first to FIG. 4A, there is shown a method implemented by the simplest connecting structure in which two optical fibers 510a, 510b are connected to each other simply by using a ferrule 550. FIG. 4B shows another connecting method in which a connecting board 560 formed with a plurality of V-grooves 561, and a connecting board 570 similarly formed with a plurality of V-grooves 571 have groove-side surfaces thereof butted against and brought into contact with each other such that the V-grooves 561, 571 cooperate to form pipes having inner walls quadrilateral in cross section, and the respective pipes have first optical fibers 510a inserted from one ends thereof, and second optical fibers 510b inserted from the other ends thereof, such that the optical fibers 510a, 510b are connected by butting ends thereof against each other.
Further, FIG. 4C shows a plug and receptacle-type optical fiber connectors 500, 600. This method is configured such that a plurality of optical fibers 510 protruding from a connector housing 520 of the optical fiber connector 500 are introduced into respective optical fiber holding/introducing passages, not shown, formed in a housing 620 of the optical fiber connector 600, and ends of the optical fibers 510 and ends of optical fibers, not shown, held in the optical fiber holding/introducing passage are butted against and brought into contact with each other for connection of the optical fibers. It should be noted that generally, the above optical fibers have a diameter of 0.125 mm or so.
In the above structures for connecting the optical fibers, the optical fibers (510a, 510b, etc.) are inserted into pipe-like introducing passages having inner walls circular or quadrilateral in cross section, from respective opposite ends of the passages, and the ends of the optical fibers are butted against each other for connection of the optical fibers. Therefore, when the optical fibers are inserted into the annular introducing passages, the inner walls of the passages are sometimes scraped by distal ends of the optical fibers, and undesirable scrapings can be attached to the end faces of the optical fibers, or airborne materials sometimes adhere to the end faces of the same. In these cases, there occurs a problem that these materials or deposits attached to the end faces cause degradation of performance of optical connection of the optical fibers.
To overcome the above problem, it is necessary to remove materials attached to the end faces of the optical fibers. The simplest and basic method for solving the problem includes, for example, a method of cleaning end faces 511 of the optical fibers 510 by removing deposits 515 attached to the end faces 511 using a gauze 700 or the like impregnated with ethyl alcohol, as shown in FIG. 5A, and a method of cleaning the end faces 511 by blowing air to the end faces 511 with an air spray 720, thereby blowing off the deposits 515, as shown in FIG. 5B.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, there has been proposed an optical fiber end face cleaner 740 (as disclosed e.g. in the Publication of Utility Model Registration No. 2530291), which is constructed by attaching an elastic body 742 to an end of a stem 741 and further wrapping a cleaning cloth 743 around the elastic body 742 and the end of the step 741. This cleaner (740) is convenient for cleaning the end face of an optical fiber located in a recessed place. Further, the elastic body 742 is deformed in accordance with shapes of surroundings, the end face of an optical fiber, etc., which makes it possible to enhance the cleaning effect. As shown in FIG. 6B, there has been proposed another optical fiber end face cleaner 760 (as disclosed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-314822), which is configured such that a cushion sheet 765 is disposed in a recessed bottom surface of a main casing 761 to laminate a cleaning sheet 764 over the cushion sheet 765, and a surface plate 762 with an opening window 763 is disposed over the cleaning sheet 764. According to this cleaner (760), the end faces of the optical fibers are pressed against the cleaning sheet 764 exposed through the opening window 763 and moved thereon, whereby deposits are removed from the end faces of the optical fibers. The cushion sheet 765 enables the end faces of the optical fibers to be brought into intimate contact with the cleaning sheet 764 and moved thereon with a moderate pressure applied to the cleaning sheet 764. This contributes to enhancement of the cleaning effect.
The conventional cleaners described above suffer from the following problems: In the case of the device using the gauze 700 or the like impregnated with ethyl alcohol, since the optical fibers have a small diameter of 0.125 mm, the user is required to clean the end faces of the optical fibers while magnifying and monitoring the end faces under a microscope. Therefore, it takes a lot of time to perform cleaning operation, and moreover, preparations of the magnifying device, ethyl alcohol, etc. necessary for cleaning operation make it difficult to readily carry out the clearing operation. In the case of the method of blowing air by the air spray 720, the effects of removal of the deposits or attached material are insufficient. In the case of the cleaner 740 having the elastic body 742 and the cleaning cloth 743 arranged at the end of the stem 74, although this cleaner 740 is suitable for cleaning an optical fiber located in a recessed place due to its stick-like shape and deformability of the elastic body 742, there is a fear that deposits once removed from the end face of the optical fiber by the cleaning cloth 743 fall off the cleaning cloth 743 to adhere to the end face of the optical fiber again. Further, in the case of the cleaner 760 having the cushion sheet 765 laminated with the cleaning sheet 764 in the main casing 761, although the cleaning effect can be increased by the moderate pressure applied to the cleaning sheet 764 by the end faces of the optical fibers, deposits once removed can adhere to the end faces of the optical fibers again, similarly to the case of the stick-like cleaner 740.